Meat lovers, get ready to do some serious slow-cooking—it's National Brisket Day! Here are five superb, beefy ways to celebrate.

1. Beef Brisket with Lemon-Oregano SauceThis brisket gets rubbed with seasonings, braised and roasted so it’s super-tender with a crisp crust; it goes perfectly with the garlicky oregano sauce.

2. Smoky Barbecued BrisketA barbecued brisket has a slightly denser texture than one that has been braised, but BBQ expert Adam Perry Lang believes it can be just as tender if you buy the right cut from your butcher. Ask for the packers cut or whole brisket: It will have a thick layer of fat that adds about 3 or 4 pounds to the typical 5- or 6-pound brisket.

3. Gail Simmons’s Horseradish BrisketRubbing prepared horseradish on the brisket and whisking it into the sauce punches up the rich flavors here. Like most braised dishes, this brisket tastes better on the second or even third day.

5. Neal’s Deli Smoky PastramiThe recipe for this ultra-flavorful, pastrami-style brisket is surprisingly easy, though it does take time—five days to cure the brisket in a simple brine and one day to chill it, followed by a few hours of smoking the peppercorn-and-coriander-crusted meat on a partially covered grill.